Iran, Kazakhstan explore new avenues for developing bilateral ties

Iran-Kazakhstan trade transaction reached $900.9 million in the year 2005, which is predicted to hit one billion dollar in the current year.

A new chapter of bilateral trade cooperation was opened when managers of a number of Iranian maritime entities attended the international festival of 'Caspian -- Sea of Friendship' held on August 24-26 in Aktau, a port city on the Caspian coast located in Mangistau Province in coordination with Iran's special envoy on Caspian Sea affairs.

The most significant process of establishing and developing regional trade, economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries was a meeting held between the governor of Mangistau Province and the governor of Golestan Province on September 8-9, 2006 in which the Kazakh Agriculture Minister Akhmetzhan Yesimov had also participated.

The Kazakh authorized ambassador to Tehran Yerik Utembayev and his Iranian colleague Ramin Mehmanprasat had an active role in arranging this meeting, which was also attended by the Kazakh agriculture minister.

Kazakhstan's production capacity and fertility was highlighted during the meeting. Its agricultural yield in the current year is estimated to reach 20 million tons.

Kazakhstan announced it has allocated a budget for building wheat storehouses in the Amirabad port of Iran, proposing a plan for jointly using of the storehouses. The official underlined the necessity of creating major cultivation and industrial complexes.

The subsequent issues were also discussed during a meeting with the governor of Mangistau Province: developing the infrastructures of Aktau port, building production complexes for agricultural products in Mangistau Province, creating direct sea and air lines, increasing the green and fruit productions in Mangistau, increasing transportation capacities in Aktau, etc.

In addition, following the meeting held between the governor of Mangistau Province and the governor of Golestan Province, a cooperation agreement on economic, trade and cultural cooperation was inked between Mangistau Province and the three northern Iranian provinces, i.e. Golestan, Mazandaran and Gilan.

An agreement was also signed according to which Gorgan city in Iran and Aktau are called twin cities thereafter.

Furthermore, after a number of specialized meetings, some four protocols on different issues such as foreign trade, industrial and economic activities, transportation and communications, constructions, agricultural, economic, trade, investment, cultural, educational, sports and tourism interactions were also ratified.

Within the framework of these protocols, the development of bilateral cooperation in industrial, agricultural, transportation, trade, scientific, technical, educational, medical, cultural, art, tourism and sports interactions were underlined.

Both Iran and Kazakhstan are therefore bound to take necessary measures for developing transportation infrastructures, accelerate the process of inaugurating Iran's consul in Aktau and also Kazakh consul in Gorgan, adopt appropriate strategies for creating a customs and taxation system for investment and establish trade relations between the chambers of commerce of both countries.

Iran's Golestan, Mazandaran and Gilan provinces as well as the Kazakh Mangistau Province are also supposed to cooperate in establishing joint institutes and develop the transaction of family basket and essential commodities and agricultural products, and help strengthen the ties between educational and scientific centers and foster bilateral cooperation in all cultural, art, tourism and sport interactions.

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